The talented long jumper, Murali Sreeshankar etch his name in history on Saturday by becoming the first Indian track and field athlete to secure qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Murali Sreeshankar accomplish this feat by winning a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships, leaping a remarkable distance of 8.37m, which mark his second career-best performance.
His final jump of 8.37m secure his Olympic qualification, surpassing the Paris Games mark of 8.27m.
Yu Tang Lin from Chinese Taipei claim the gold medal with an impressive fourth-round jump of 8.40m, which ranks as the third-best effort globally this season.
And four 20km race walkers have already qualified for the Paris Olympics, including Akshadeep Singh, Vikas Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht, and Priyanka Goswami, it’s important to note that race walking is classified as a road event in the Olympics.
The qualification period for various track and field events for the Paris Olympics differs.
For the 10,000m race, combine events like decathlon and heptathlon, race walks, and relays, the period extends from 31st December, 2022, to 30th June, 2024.
For the marathon, the qualification period is from 1st November, 2022, to 30th April, 2024.
And for all other events, the qualification period spans from 1st July, 2023, to 30th June, 2024.
This will be Murali Sreeshankar’s second appearance at the Olympics, having compete in the Tokyo Games.
Murali Sreeshankar was eliminate in the qualification round.
So, with his recent achievements, including a bronze medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and qualification for the Budapest World Championships with an impressive jump of 8.41m, Murali Sreeshankar has proven his potential on the global stage.
In other performances by Indian athletes, the mix 4x400m relay team comprising Rajesh Ramesh, Aishwarya Mishra, Amoj Jacob, and Subha Venkatesan secure a gold medal with a remarkable time of 3 minutes and 14.70 seconds.
Sarvesh Anil Kushare and Swapna Barman also contribute to India’s medal tally by earning silver medals in the men’s high jump and heptathlon events, respectively.
With a total of 14 medals won so far, including six gold, four silver, and four bronze, India has showcase its prowess in the Asian Athletics Championships.
Murali Sreeshankar was consider the favorite to clinch the gold medal in the long jump event.
And he led midway with a jump of 8.12m, his opponent from Chinese Taipei surge ahead in the fourth round with a jump of 8.40m.
Despite a valiant effort in his final attempt, Murali Sreeshankar fell short of claiming the top spot.
Also, Santhosh Kumar secure a bronze medal in the men’s 400m hurdles, setting a personal best time of 49.09 seconds.
His exceptional performance places him as the fastest Indian in the event this year.
It is noteworthy that no Indian athlete has ever won a gold medal in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Championships.
Murali Sreeshankar’s achievement in qualifying for the Paris Olympics and the impressive performances by other Indian athletes at the Asian Athletics Championships demonstrate the nation’s growing prominence in track and field.
These accomplishments serve as a testament to India’s commitment to athletic excellence on the international stage.
